From 19 to 20 September 2016, already the 8th Dialogue Forum took place in the visitor centre of the Mauthausen Memorial, this time featuring the topic perspectives of perpetrator research.

(photo credits: Mauthausen Memorial)

For a long time, perpetrator research was neglected by historiography. The subject matter of perpetration was taboo both for Austrian and German post-war societies - therefore, for many decades, the history of concentration camps was almost exclusively told as a history of victims. Even research in Mauthausen took up this topic at a relatively late stage; perpetrators were persistently omitted - with the exception of commanding officers and the heads of detention camps. Only recently, a change of attitude has occurred, as it became evident that historiography is quite incomplete without the history of perpetrators. For this reason, the 8th Dialogue Forum of the Mauthausen Memorial was dedicated to the topic of perpetrator research and communicated the results of such research.

In panels, workshops and discussions, the various issues have been dealt with by national and international experts, but also by relatives of those perpetrators.

Programme:

19 September 2016

10:00-10:30

Welcoming reception

10:30-11:30

Opening

Keynote

Adelheid Kastner, Psychiatrist and court-certified expert – was in charge i.a. of the case Josef Fritzl

Lunch break

Panel 1: “Willing Helpers of the SS”

Coffee break

15:45-16:45

Talks with children of Nazi perpetrators in small groups:

Walter Chmielewski, son of the former camp commander of Gusen – talking with Ralf LechnerRosa Brodinger, daughter of an SS member of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp – talking with Regina FritzJens-Jürgen Ventzki, son of the former Lord Mayor of Łódź – talking with Philipp Rohrbach

17:00-18:00

Themed tours

Perpetrators – Guided tour of the Mauthausen MemorialPerpetrators private – Guided tour of residential areas for SS and DESt personnel in MauthausenPerpetrators and Environment– Guided tour of the town MauthausenPerpetrators and Business– Guided tour of the town St. Georgen a. d. Gusen, visit to the residential areas for DESt and SS personnel.